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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,852
9,557
AK
I guess I'm doing it wrong then, since I've been able to drop 3-4 lbs from back in the 2000s due to the frame, cranks, rims, bars, tubeless and 1x. With a coil, it hits just at 30.
 

Salami

Turbo Monkey
Jul 17, 2003
1,784
118
Waxhaw, NC
I guess I'm doing it wrong then, since I've been able to drop 3-4 lbs from back in the 2000s due to the frame, cranks, rims, bars, tubeless and 1x. With a coil, it hits just at 30.
Me too. No coil but at 30.5lbs for a 160/150 bike that only reguires a tire change to be really slammed through rocky DH trails.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
Never felt the need to buy a bike scale.

I don't run crabon parts, do run Doubledown, and ride L / XL metal frames, so that shit'd be depressing if I had a scale. :rofl:
 
I'm proud of you guys. Is boasting about not weighing your bike the new boasting about the weight of your bike? Tune in at 11, or don't. Either way.
in all fainess, i don't even have the slightest clue what any of my geometry measurements are, how many clicks in or out my suspension knobs are, or even my exact tire pressure. i have many bikes and they are all very different. i just ride them and couldn't care less...
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
I don’t think I’ll ever have a MTB under 30 pounds.

Or at 30 pounds, for that matter.
The lightest bike I've ever owned is my current "toodles definition XC bike" carbon Smuggler, which is a teeny bit under 30lbs. It's actually pretty capable on steep stuff and hitting jumps and stuff, but the compromise is in the tyres so you can't just barrel it into sections full of pointy rocks like a more heavily built bike. It still handles pretty well and the lighter tyres roll super fast.

for long XC rides lighter bikes sure are nice.
What do you regard as long?
It's not just long rides where its nice - basically anytime the trail is flatter or boring or even just more swoopy and flowy rather than smashing through gnarly stuff or straight down. If you don't live where those trails exist, then there's no point - but now and then I'll just load up and go do a 30 - 50km trail ride. Once or twice a year I'll do a 80-100km marathon event to break things up - I'm not XC fit so its definitely a participation thing rather than a competitive event (I can high recommend doing at least one 24hour race with your buddies on a beer-per-lap).

Before I bought the Smuggler, I used my Patrol for the same kind of rides. It handled them no worries, but big tyres and an excess of travel makes those trails less fun and its harder to get rowdy on flat sections unless you've got the legs to get the bike moving fast. The lighter build is definitely the key to making boring sections fun.
 
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The lightest bike I've ever owned is my current "toodles definition XC bike" carbon Smuggler, which is a teeny bit under 30lbs. It's actually pretty capable on steep stuff and hitting jumps and stuff, but the compromise is in the tyres so you can't just barrel it into sections full of pointy rocks like a more heavily built bike. It still handles pretty well and the lighter tyres roll super fast.





It's not just long rides where its nice - basically anytime the trail is flatter or boring or even just more swoopy and flowy rather than smashing through gnarly stuff or straight down. If you don't live where those trails exist, then there's no point - but now and then I'll just load up and go do a 30 - 50km trail ride. Once or twice a year I'll do a 80-100km marathon event to break things up - I'm not XC fit so its definitely a participation thing rather than a competitive event (I can high recommend doing at least one 24hour race with your buddies on a beer-per-lap).

Before I bought the Smuggler, I used my Patrol for the same kind of rides. It handled them no worries, but big tyres and an excess of travel makes those trails less fun and its harder to get rowdy on flat sections unless you've got the legs to get the bike moving fast. The lighter build is definitely the key to making boring sections fun.
I don't tend to get bored riding. I have done 24 hour and 50 mile races more than once, goal be to endure, have fun, and finish rather than win, and still like random 40-50 mile rides with elevation. Weight ain't anything I have ever paid primary attention to.
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,479
4,719
Australia
I don't tend to get bored riding. I have done 24 hour and 50 mile races more than once, goal be to endure, have fun, and finish rather than win, and still like random 40-50 mile rides with elevation. Weight ain't anything I have ever paid primary attention to.
I don't think the weight is necessarily the biggest benefit of the build I described, but a welcome side-effect of a spec I chose for other reasons. The EXO casing Minion DHF and SS combo is there because they're good fun tyres and I don't need anything burlier 99% of the time. The fact they're significantly lighter than a Supergravity Magic Mary is just a nice bonus.

Personally for my climbing speed and style I think bike geo and comfort makes more of a difference than the weight of the bike.
 

Bikael Molton

goofy for life
Jun 9, 2003
4,010
1,146
El Lay
That Smuggler sounds fun as shit! I can’t get by with EXO tires in my area.

Maybe if I lived in Santa Cruz or Ohio or the south of England...

The lightest bike I've ever owned is my current "toodles definition XC bike" carbon Smuggler, which is a teeny bit under 30lbs. It's actually pretty capable on steep stuff and hitting jumps and stuff, but the compromise is in the tyres so you can't just barrel it into sections full of pointy rocks like a more heavily built bike. It still handles pretty well and the lighter tyres roll super fast.





It's not just long rides where its nice - basically anytime the trail is flatter or boring or even just more swoopy and flowy rather than smashing through gnarly stuff or straight down. If you don't live where those trails exist, then there's no point - but now and then I'll just load up and go do a 30 - 50km trail ride. Once or twice a year I'll do a 80-100km marathon event to break things up - I'm not XC fit so its definitely a participation thing rather than a competitive event (I can high recommend doing at least one 24hour race with your buddies on a beer-per-lap).

Before I bought the Smuggler, I used my Patrol for the same kind of rides. It handled them no worries, but big tyres and an excess of travel makes those trails less fun and its harder to get rowdy on flat sections unless you've got the legs to get the bike moving fast. The lighter build is definitely the key to making boring sections fun.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,624
12,915
Cackalacka du Nord
ok. i'll admit i was skeptical, but when the version specific to my bike went on bigly sale, i figured i'd try it. the push 11-6 is what's right. it came with "climb" and "dh" as presets. just for fun i ran it on our local trail, which is probably the roughest/least flowy in these parts, in "climb" setting. somehow, it managed to be an improvement over the ccdb i felt like i'd just gotten tuned well. it might be best described as simultaneously smoothing out choppy roots and rock sections but simultaneously not riding too far into the travel and giving amazing pop off of jumps. i was pretty blown away. never even felt too firm. super stoked to hit the mountains soon and check out the "dh" setting on the downs. i've run multiple ccdb's, dhx 5.0, rs superdeluxe, and other crappier options (granted, all stock, just self-tuned)...i really like my current ccdb, but this was on another level. thanks for the nudge, @Nick !
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,190
19,156
Canaderp

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!

This is pretty cool. Even if you don't win it, it sounds like itd be a wild experience and a somewhat free vacation?

Someone fill out a form for @jackalope :D
I'd totally campaign for him if he promises to knock a few teeth off Waki's mouth!
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,195
4,419

This is pretty cool. Even if you don't win it, it sounds like itd be a wild experience and a somewhat free vacation?

Someone fill out a form for @jackalope :D
Not the best timing to travel the world.